The Official British Hockey Thread 2010-2011 Season

grazza · Post by **grazza** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 9:08 pm

I think teams have signed more players than you think it seems to be the fashion to announce one or two a week for some teams so to keep interest up during the summer. Though no doubt there are still plenty of signings to be made. Is that correct that NCAA players are now allowed? I heard it was a possibility but hadn't seen it as being confirmed yet.

Post by **Calv** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 9:54 pm

I think it is yeah, it was definitely the intention of the league to allow them to come over.

re signings: I'd be very surprised if Edinburgh had any more signings currently - they don't even have their player-coach signed. I think Hull have a few players signed up that they'll announce at their open night - canadian netminder who just played in the netherlands (C. Boucher?) has been rumoured for a while to be signing for them.

I know its fashion to release one or two a week, but Edinburgh & Hull haven't announced many (any in Hulls case) at all.

Post by **Manimal** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 9:25 pm

I see that a British player was chosen in the CHL Import draft for only the second time ever. What can you guys tell me about Robert Farmer?

Post by **Calv** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 11:28 pm

Quite a tall lad who wasn't afraid to get stuck in, in the EPL. I think he had one or two scraps last season.

Good in front of net in the EPL and also for GB Jrs. EPL is typically filled with British players, quite a few of whom are youngsters - each team has 4 import players.

Moved up to the EIHL (the top GB league) in slightly a acrimonious fashion and joined the Sheffield Steelers where he performed well in a 3rd line slot with limited ice time. (6+11 in 36 games)
EIHL is 10 imports per team, usually ECHL/CHL standard maybe one or two who could get regular AHL games.

Rated by fellow players (Jonathan Zion to name one) and fans, but either didn't get offered a contract by the Steelers or wanted more ice time and originally signed for Manchester in the EPL before getting a trial with Dubuque (sic?). He apparently impressed the scouts but due to the import limits (only allowed to sign 2) was not retained.

The Ottawa scouts 'saw him skate' (presumably in the trial for Dubuque) and he got a reference from Zion (an ex-67's player himself).

I've only seen him play once during a England - Scotland U-20 game which was very 1-sided but he was the best player on the ice that day

Sorry I can't tell you more, I'm basing quite a bit of this on what I've heard from other people

grazza · Post by **grazza** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 12:13 am

Got tickets sorted for the all stars v Boston in Belfast should be a good weekend. I am thinking maybe head to opening night at Braehead where they play their first ever home game on the Friday night then head over to Belfast on Saturday catch the big match and maybe stick around for Giants v Nottingham Panthers on the Sunday.

Post by **Calv** » Fri Jul 09, 2010 7:14 am

Archi & I are also going to the Boston game, unfortunately I have a course starting on the monday so I couldn't make the Nottingham game.

In other news, the whole of the Sheffield Steelers backroom staff have quit in a vote of no confidence of owner Bob Phillips:

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sportheadlines ... 6410189.jp

Post by **Calv** » Fri Jul 09, 2010 7:05 pm

Mental day at Sheffield, firstly the whole backroom staff & coach quit, the official site goes down. Then the 'unofficial' (but deletes any posts may be potentially damaging to the club) forum goes down, before coming back up but every post is moderated (i.e. doesn't show up until a moderator has approved it).

Looks like it was a play by the backroom staff to get Bob Phillips (steelers' owner) to sell the club. It looks like it has failed as he is already in advanced talks with a new coach. He also says all players currently signed will be playing next season for the Steelers.

This comes days after the courts ordered Bob Phillips to pay £55,000 to creditors from the last time the Steelers operating company went bust. The history is that they were in financial rouble, BP then bought the club for £200k and liquidated the operating company and I don't think he paid off all of the creditors This then rumbled through the courts for several years until he was forced to pay £55k to them recently. This came after the most recent operating company of the Steelers went bust - reportedly owing £130,000 to various creditors - after several sponsors failed to pay up.

It will be interesting to see what happens come September and who owns the Steelers...

grazza · Post by **grazza** » Sat Jul 10, 2010 12:55 pm

I certainly hope the Steelers can come through these tough times but perhaps learn some lessons from it. I don't know much about Bob Phillips but from what I see of Dave Simms I think he tries to push too much influence for someone in his position like some sort of self appointed commissioner. I think he was in charge of stuff off the ice and to that extent was probably quite good at his job. However he would come out with unhelpful opinions like wanting to cut the elite from 10 to 8 teams just before Manchester and Basingstoke dropped out though not sure if they were the 2 he was wanting out. Also he would have a habit of announcing signings of other teams in the league before they did. In all honesty I think he means well but likes the sound of his own voice and someone high up in the elite should tell him to bite his tongue.

Steelers though have had a reputation for breaking the salary cap and poaching players off other teams in the league. They probably represent the problem of big arena teams bullying smaller rink teams. Last season the team struggled and crowds dropped and perhaps this has caused some of the financial trouble. It does worry me that generally the league seems to favour arena teams who seem to only work if they are near the top end of the table where as the rink teams can keep going even if they fail to make the play offs. Edinburgh for instance play to crowds of maybe 500 or so people yet generally have been competitive.

Generally I think a clear out would be a good thing for Steelers maybe a new owner if someone comes forward.

Reynaldo28 · Post by **Reynaldo28** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 3:53 pm

Grazza, your last paragraph sums it all up. The price breaking of the salary cap year after year is finally catching up to them in the most punishing of ways. I think now is the time for the Elite League to really put this cap into action. Before more teams possibly go the way of Sheffield. It is totally unfair on teams like Hull, Newcastle and Edinburgh etc. Teams who abide by the salary cap, yet can still push for the playoffs, and even win it, Newcastle showed this was possible. But can you imagine how much more exciting and competitive the league would be if everyone were to abide by the salary cap?

Don't get me wrong, I hate Sheffield with a passion, but I don't want to see them go from the league. I'd rather watch them lose every game this season, more to laugh at that way.

Post by **Calv** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:49 pm

Steelers have been put up for sale: http://www.eliteleague.co.uk/index.php? ... &Itemid=50

Reynaldo28 · Post by **Reynaldo28** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 10:08 pm

Who has the money and knowledge to buy a hockey team.

Post by **Calv** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 1:11 pm

A consortium of sponsors was interested apparently. Let's hope they learn from the numerous times this has happened in Sheffield and spend within their limits for once

Post by **Calv** » Sat Jul 17, 2010 3:43 pm

Sheffield Scimitars cease to exist, and have come back for the ashes as Sheffield Steeldogs. Their new owner says they 'hope to finish the season in the EPL', doesn't sound too optimistic....!

Looks like they'll be icing quite a few ENL players and only 2 imports I think. They don't like they'll be competitive this season

Post by **Calv** » Sat Jul 17, 2010 4:17 pm

Rosters updated

grazza · Post by **grazza** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 3:28 am

Maybe if the new northern league can do okay it may be a good option for Sheffield's 2nd team. Sheffield Spartans who are probably the 3rd best team in the city are in the northern league this season.

In time it would be great if there could be a northern league of equivalent standard to EPL and also give an option for the likes of Braehead, Dundee, Edinburgh, Hull and Newcastle if they can no longer sustain Elite league hockey. Also it may appeal to Manchester as souther English teams may become wary of travelling to play them her as perhaps the Scottish teams more willing for it to work. Really though there needs to be a good solid league and this will take time and patient and regionalising within may be a good idea.

Post by **Calv** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 7:17 pm

Dave Phillips gets another year in the AHL, a 1-way contract with Chicago Wolves

Post by **Calv** » Fri Aug 06, 2010 8:49 pm

In the EIHL, it looks like Belfast are the team to beat on the ice, and Dundee are the team to beat in boxing ring

Post by **Calv** » Tue Aug 10, 2010 3:38 pm

Hull are the latest team to be struggling financially, looks like it's d-day for them today as to whether they cease to exist or not...

Post by **Calv** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 6:25 am

Hull confirm they will not be icing in the eihl next season

Post by **Calv** » Thu Aug 12, 2010 6:28 pm

Some interesting reading about their demise:

Up until early last week the Stingrays were £25,000 short of making the cut for running the season, which they thought was manageable, they then got hit by 2 things.

The NHS trust funding which was going to give the Stingrays about £50,000 in way of promoting healthy living (Hull City/Hull KR and Hull FC are also included and get the same) was halved to £25,000 because of budget cuts.

The Stingrays also owed the Inland revenue £40,000 which they had agreed on an action plan and were paying it through direct debits, signed up and agreed..........that was overruled last week (don't know if the Portsmouth FC case has anything to do with it just my idle speculation) by a senior executive at the Tax office who wanted the payment ASAP.

This then put Hull over £80,000 to find in the space of a few weeks.

A major sponsor let them down at the last minute and they couldn't find the funds to offset any of it.

Rather than start the season and waste Season Pass money they decided to do the honourable thing and not to start the season. as they thought it honourable not to go bust midway through the season.

Both Mike and Sue were very emotional , and cut up about the whole thing.
They said they were let down by a lot of local big companies in Hull ie Smith and Nephew, BP and Reckitts who all have big factories in Hull. They also felt let down by the council who wouldn't return their calls the local council is now Lib Dems who from experience are not very sports minded.

Alan Johnson MP (Labour) was praised with his involvement and he agreed to be come a patron of the Stingrays, although was on Holiday last week and probably doesn't know that the Stingrays have now folded.

They said it costs £400,000 to run the Stingrays this season. breaking down to £225,000 on wages player costs, £25,000 on bus costs £8,000 going to Belfast, £40,000 equipment other things such as accommodation were coming in at £5600 a month insurance, medical bills ITC cards, WPermits, Flights etc bring the total to just over £400,000

Now the projected attendance/gate receipts account for £180,000 , so requiring Hull to find £220,000 which they were nearing but fell short and were then hit by the two bombshells the other week.

Also another bombshell that has hit them is that a former player form last season is suing them for constructive dismissal and the court case is pending.

They had thought of dropping the two highest earners in the team Cloutier and Kalmikov, but didn't want to start the first two games Away to Coventry and Home to potential title winners Belfast and get a hammering on their first weekend.

I wish some of the other owners in this league have as much integrity as Mike and Sue and maybe the sport could move on and grow. Everybody who bought a season pass had their money refunded in Cash or were given their uncashed cheque back last night.

Post by **Calv** » Sat Aug 14, 2010 11:03 am

Belfast finish off their roster with another 2 solid signings. If hockey was played on paper they'd win the league quite easily next season

Post by **Calv** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 10:11 pm

Hull might be safe, woo!

Post by **Calv** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:05 pm

A little bit odd, but at least they're safe:

Stingrays back in League

17/08/2010

Hull Stingrays to ice in the 2010/11 Elite Ice Hockey League

The 2010/11 Elite Ice Hockey League will, after all, have a full complement of ten teams after the Coventry Blaze ownership team of Andy Buxton, Mike Cowley and Paul Thompson, along with Blaze General Manager, James Pease, have assumed full operational control of the Hull Stingrays today.

They have confirmed that after extensive preliminary discussions and thanks to support from the local council and outgoing owners, Mike and Sue Pack, the Stingrays will take their place in the league this season. It is anticipated that the team will play its opening league fixture on Sunday 3rd October although this is subject to league confirmation this week.

Whilst there remains a significant amount of work to do before the team can take to the ice, it can be confirmed that last season’s Player/Coach, Sylvain Cloutier has committed himself fully to the new organisation and will fly into the UK this Wednesday to take an active role in getting all aspects of the organisation up and running.

Whilst several of the originally announced roster have already found new clubs, Cloutier has been speaking to all of the other players who were keen to wait in the hope that a new operator could be found. He hopes to re-sign several players in the next few days and has already started the process of recruiting replacements for those who have moved on.

“It’s been a crazy few days to say the least,” said Buxton. “We’ve only had a very short time to get our heads around this to make sure that we believed we could make a success of it. Right now we don’t have all of the answers to the many questions I’m sure people are going to have but over the coming few days and weeks we’ll hopefully be able to communicate just about everything that people want to know.

“It was important to us to get the news out now that the fantastic Hull Stingrays fans and sponsors are going to have an Elite League team to support this season and we are going to really need them to continue to get behind the team and us as an organisation as we look to move the club forward. Until we have a more permanent presence in Hull, for any additional information or if there are any businesses who would like to get involved with the club, we’d like to invite them to contact the Coventry Blaze office on 02476 223220 or via email at blazeoffice@btconnect.com”

Alison Walker, Hull City Council's City Arts and Leisure Manager, added:

"We are delighted that the Stingrays will now not leave their home at Hull Arena, and we are committed to continue to support the Club and look forward to working with the new owners, who already field a successful team. We are pleased that the Coventry Blaze owners felt that the Stingrays, and the support on offer from Hull City Council at the Arena was an attractive proposition, which is great news for the city, the fans and the Arena, and we are excited at the prospect of being part of a partnership that will help move the club forward"

bloc85 · Post by **bloc85** » Fri Aug 20, 2010 4:30 pm

Isn't there a rule where you can't own more than one team? Be interesting to see what would happen if the Blaze and Stingrays met in a crucial game.

Post by **Calv** » Sat Aug 21, 2010 4:46 pm

This is the EIHL, no rule book exists - the league makes it up as they go along....

Braehead have finished their roster now, and look pretty good for a mid-table finish. Hopefully this will see some large crowd numbers up there.